Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Pelly Bay (Mar 25/02) - A new twist on an old form of art may make sound economic sense for the community of Kugaaruk.

In their quest to introduce something new to the saturated Inuit art market, carvers and artisans in the Kitikmeot hamlet began working on collections of miniature tools made from caribou antler.

Funding from the Department of Sustainable Development and the federal government -- more than $70,000 worth -- and a few years of hard work brought five different prototype collections into the process of being framed.

"There are five different styles of collections," explained Quinn Taggart, the hamlet's senior administrator.

Two of the collections replicate tools used on the land in the winter and the summer, one illustrates tools used by women, another tools used by men and the fifth different Inuit hand games.

Once framed, Inuktitut and English labels will be placed on the tools and a binder describing what they're made of and how they're used developed.

The hope is people will buy the collections as gifts and as educational tools for use in classrooms and other venues.

"We're also hoping the government of Nunavut will support us by buying the pieces and using them as gifts to visiting dignitaries," said Taggart.

Most collections contain about 12 tools, although one of the land tool sets has 28 different pieces.

It is also hoped the artisans will eventually be able to frame their own work.

To showcase the collections and to boost future sales, carver Gino Akkak will attend the National Rural Conference in Charlottetown, April 4 to 6.

Taggart, to accompany Akkak to the conference alongside economic development officer Vincent Ningark, said their attendance may help leverage more federal dollars.

"We want to showcase our project and to show what we've done with our federal dollars," he said.

Akkak will give carving demonstrations to the 440 delegates during the three-day event.